Pakistani, Egyptian journalists honoured for courageous journalism

World Press Freedom Hero Cyril Almeida and Free Media Pioneer Mada Masr honoured for courageous journalism receive international acknowledgement at the International Press Institute World Congress

Pakistani journalist Cyril Almedia received the 2019 International Press Institute (IPI) World Press Freedom Hero award at a special ceremony as part of the 2019 IPI World Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 5. At the same ceremony, the 2019 Free Media Pioneer award was conferred on Egyptian news site Mada Masr. Both awards are given by IPI in partnership with International Media Support (IMS).

A columnist and assistant editor with the
English-language daily Dawn, Almeida is widely respected for his critical
coverage of Pakistan’s powerful military and its direct or indirect involvement
in political affairs. That scrutiny has made both him and Dawn a target of
intense harassment.

In 2016, Almeida was banned from leaving the
country and dragged before a military tribunal after publishing a story
regarding the military’s protection of certain extremist groups. Last year, he
was charged with treason over an interview with former Pakistan Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif in which Sharif indirectly suggested that Pakistan’s military
aided the militants who carried out the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai,
India. Proceedings in the case remain open. Treason is a potentially capital
offence in Pakistan.

Introducing Almeida, IPI Executive Board Vice
Chair Beata Balogova said that despite facing vicious smear campaigns designed
to portray them as traitors, Almeida and Dawn “are keeping the essence of
journalism alive. Their bravery deserves our appreciation, because they are
heroes of press freedom.”

Accepting the award, Almeida said Pakistan was
experiencing the “greatest rollback of civil liberties, media freedom and
political rights in a generation. Increasingly, only state-sanctioned dissent,
politics and protest are allowed.”

He added: “Your support matters. Thank you for
thinking of me, the paper I work for, and for thinking of the excellent
colleagues at Dawn who continue their fight for independent journalism under
our tremendous leader, the editor of Dawn, Zaffar Abbas.”

Launched in 2000, on IPI’s 50thanniversary, the World Press Freedom Hero award honours journalists who have
made significant contributions to the promotion of press freedom, particularly
in the face of great personal risk.

In 2017, the site was one of nearly two dozen
critical outlets blocked by the Egyptian government for “spreading lies” and
“supporting terrorism” – accusations the authorities routinely level against
critical voices. The site was unique in launching a legal case against the 2017
website blockings. The case has since been referred for technical review to a
panel of experts within the Justice Ministry.

Speaking to IPI prior to the ceremony, Lina
Attalah, co-founder of Mada Masr, which publishes news in Arabic and English,
said that on behalf of the entire team of Mada Masr she was “grateful for such
international recognition”.

Attalah said the award made her and her team
proud of the work they have been doing over the past five-and-a-half years,
often under very difficult political conditions. ”This is one of the moments in
which I am particularly proud”, she told IPI World Congress participants at the
ceremony.

Presenting the award, IMS Executive Director
Jesper Højberg said that “now in its sixth year of operations, Mada Masr
continues to challenge the narratives promoted by Egypt’s predominately
state-controlled media, facing harassment and intimidation in order to provide
fearless coverage of taboo topics”.

The annual Free Media Pioneer Award was established by IPI in 1996 to recognize news or media organizations that have made innovations that have promoted news access or quality, or benefited journalists and the media community, thereby ensuring freer and more independent media in their country or region. For the past four years, the award has been given in partnership with International Media Support (IMS).